The government has backed new plans to protect grassroots music venues

The future of grassroots music venues in the UK has received a massive boost after the government backed new plans to protect them from developers.

The ‘Agent of Change’ principle sees the government committing to the introduction of a law that will see developers forced to take account of the impact that any new project could have on pre-existing businesses.

The law was initially tabled in the House of Commons by former Labour MP John Spellar, and has received the backing of Housing Secretary Sajid Javid

“Music venues play a vital role in our communities, bringing people together and contributing to the local economy and supporting the country’s grass roots music culture”, Javid told MusicWeek.

“I have always thought it unfair that the burden is on long-standing music venues to solve noise issues when property developers choose to build nearby. That’s why I consulted on this in February last year as part of the Housing White Paper. I am pleased to finally have an opportunity to right this wrong and also give more peace of mind to new residents moving into local properties.”